By Leslie Lindsay Every so often, we call a “family game night” at our house.  Old-fashioned, classic fun is what it is, but there is an element of education, too.  In fact, our first grade teacher does similar things in her classroom. Here’s the deal:  Everything you do with your children can be educational.  Nope, it doesn’t have to be a flashcard or say, “education” on the packaging. When learning is fun and experiential, it actually “sinks in” more than traditional sit-and-learn-methods. Family games introduce concepts that can be used in everyday experiences–things that your children will use to build good foundations.  For example, a game of dominoes teaches matching, number recognition (“oh 5 looks like four with a single [dot]  in the middle!” or “6 is really two rows of three”), strategy, turn-taking, etc. Turn-taking, good-sportsmanship, and even pre-reading skills can all be acquired through games you participate in with kids.  Some of our personal favorites are: Zingo!  Try also Zingo Numbers!  Sequence for Kids Scrabble Scoop Toot and Otto  (image retrieved 3.6.12 by Hasbro.com) …